Kitty,
The way I understand it, sequence of stratification is very important
with peony seed. Must start off with warm moist, go to cold moist and back
to warm moist for germination. Miss a step and they wait it out for the
right timing to come back around. So... seeds should be sown late summer, go
through winter and come back to spring once more. I get germination of seeds
around my peonies all the time out in the garden and I try to keep the seeds
clipped.
Gene E. Bush
Munchkin Nursery & Gardens, llc
www.munchkinnursery.com
genebush@munchkinnursery.com
Zone 6/5 Southern Indiana

Marge,
I also have P. obovata, another woodland peony, but with pink blooms.
It's
shoots are only up a few inches so far, but it bloomed the first year (got
them at the same time, but obovata came from Seneca while japonica came
from
PDN - I think PDN gets them from Seneca, divides them and charges twice as
much).

I posted a picture of the red, white, and blue seedpod from obovata last
year. I tried germinating the seed in a baggie os smoist sphagnum, in and
out of refrigeration, but no luck. They're back in the fridge again. I
was
thinking of pitching them, but if you're willing to give them 3 yrs, maybe
I'll let them sit awhile longer.

BTW - I don't really mind 'fleeting' flowers when they are this gorgeous.
I
don't have a display garden and it doesn't have much of a design. I just
have what I like (and can afford) and the fact that each has its special
moment for me to glory in, is enough for me.

Isn't it a lovely child? I got one a few years ago, too. 1st year,
1 stem; 1 flower - now it is putting up several stems and flowers and
yours will prob. do this as well as time passes. Flowers are very
fleeting, but followed by marvelous seed pods. One of my fav. things
about this plant is the color of the new stems as they come up.
Foliage also stays nice - they will go dormant if they get too dry.
I also like that it wants woodland conditions as most 'regular'
peonies need a lot more sun than I have to offer; have only 5 of
those and no where else for any more:-(
I planted the seeds mine formed around the mother plant, but so far
have not seen anything that I could ID as a possible child - think it
takes a couple years or something (I hope)....I have yet to have any
success germinating peonies. Discovered germination in two of the
many seedpots of other things I've had sitting doing nothing for 3
years, so sometimes it just takes time.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
Shadyside Garden Designs
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> From: Kitty <kmrsy@comcast.net>
>
> I got this plant a few years ago. The first year it just wilted
down and
> disappeared. The second year it had a bud, but it never opened.
This year
> it has 3 buds, two opened today. This is a woodland peony, and I
just love
> it.
>
>
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kmrsy/detail?.dir=c1ea&.dnm=f928.jpg&.sr
c=ph
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